Ahmadinejad calls for closer India-Iran ties

Contemporary world situation calls for close cooperation between India and Iran, Iranian President Mahmdoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday.

Contemporary world situation calls for close cooperation between India and Iran, Iranian President Mahmdoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday.

Iran and India should stay together because of their cultural ties as well as the situation in the region and the world, he told Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna here on the sidelines of the G-15 meet.

All these call for close cooperation between the two countries, the president said.

"Iran and India should build upon their common views in building up new systems for the future of the world," the president said.

Both the countries "should not neglect the present opportunities to replace the dying big powers", he was quoted as saying by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Closer ties between Iran and India will benefit other countries as well because Tehran and New Delhi have always sought peace and security for the region and the world, he added.

The Indian minister said Iran and India were two developing countries which had to make the best of their potentials.